Nazr Mohammed
Nazr Tahiru Mohammed NAH-zee (born September 5, 1977) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the center position. He is 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) and 250 lb (113.4 kg). Early life The son of an immigrant from Ghana, Mohammed was raised in Chicago and attended high school at Kenwood Academy. Mohammed entered the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1995 at a hefty 315 pounds, and saw little playing time during their NCAA Championship season. After slimming down for his sophomore year, Mohammed shared the starting center spot with Jamaal Magloire and was a key contributor in 1997, when the Cats were runners-up to Arizona. Mohammed once again shared the starting post position with Magloire in 1998, and once again they brought the NCAA Championship home to Kentucky, for the second time in three years. NBA career After his junior year, Mohammed was faced with a decision on whether to come back to school or enter the draft, and ultimately decided to enter the 1998 NBA Draft. He was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round, as the 29th pick overall. Utah traded his rights to the Philadelphia 76ers for a future first round pick, which turned out to be Quincy Lewis in the 1999 NBA Draft. He spent two and a half seasons in Philadelphia. He then played for the Atlanta Hawks through the middle of the 2004 season, at which point he went to the New York Knicks. Mohammed split the 2004–05 season between the Knicks and the Spurs (who acquired him in a trade for Malik Rose). In a combined 77 games for both teams, he averaged 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He won the 2005 NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs as a member of their starting lineup. During Mohammed's second season in San Antonio he shared the starting center position with Rasho Nesterovič, averaging 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game during the regular season. He was a key contributor to the team's first round series victory over Sacramento, averaging 7.0 points per game and nailing his second career three-point basket late in Game 1. Mohammed, however, played sparingly in the team's second round series loss to the Dallas Mavericks. After the season, he turned down a four-year contract extension and did not return to the Spurs. On July 4, 2006, it was announced that he had come to terms on an agreement with the Detroit Pistons to become their starting center. After beginning the season in the starting five, the arrival of Chris Webber on January 16, 2007 made him gradually fall out of the team's rotation, the culmination being his 5 minutes in two postseason contests. He averaged 5.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 51 games (33 starts), with about 15 minutes of action per game. Mohammed was traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Charlotte Bobcats on December 14, 2007, in exchange for Primož Brezec and Wálter Herrmann. He had a season-high 20 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, and a season-high 4 blocks against the Knicks on December 21. On February 11, 2008, Nazr scored a season high 22 points, and pulled down 11 rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers. On February 11, 2010, Nazr scored 21 points, and vacuumed a season high 20 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On February 24, 2011, Nazr Mohammed was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, while forward D.J. White and guard Morris Peterson were sent to the Charlotte Bobcats. On July 27, 2012, Mohammed signed a deal with the Chicago Bulls. On May 10, 2013, Nazr Mohammed was involved in an altercation with LeBron James in the 2013 NBA Playoffs, in game three of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. James was called for a technical foul for tying up with Mohammed in transition. Mohammed retaliated by shoving James which followed with Mohammed being ejected. NBA career statistics Regular season Playoffs Category:Roster